Assassins vs Bodyguards

Chapter 2 (Rowan's Party)

"Wait for me!" Rowan screamed, as Roael and Pharos took off, leaving her behind. Tag has never been one of her favorite games, because eventually she would be the one to give chase and the two would run off to do whatever they wanted while she had to figure out if she wanted to try and catch them or find something else to do. No doubt they just wanted her to leave them alone. With Pharos, she could understand why; He was spoiled brat that always wanted to play sword games and that didn't involve girls.

But with Roael, her own brother? Every time he decided to play with his friend instead of her felt like a betrayal of sorts. She decided to go with the third option today. Cry to her mother.

She made her way up the palace and found the place in a beehive level of activity. Maids were scrubbing the halls and the beating the dust off the tapestries. The stable boys were chucking hay like their lives depended on it. Chefs and their helpers were cooking up a storm. It was there she slowed her rush to her mother; walking by the kitchen always felt like walking past heaven. Her step faltered for a bit, she wanted to sneak a little treat off the counter, but the last time she did that alone, cook Feo yelled at her. She could only get away from stealing snacks was if Roael was with her. He was a good at conversation and easily distracted the others while she used her skirt as a basket to load Feo's famous apple tarts with.

"Princess, what you are doing here all alone?" Winnow, a cook's helper, spotted the crown of red hair peaking through the threshold.

Rowan gasped, she had been so focused on the tray freshly taken out from the oven. "um..."

Winnow glanced to where her gaze had been and turned back with a knowing smile. "Here little one," she took a tart and quickly covered it up with a dishcloth without Feo looking. She dropped it into the little princess' hands, smiling again when she saw Rowan's face light bright red.

"Um...th-thank you ms. Willow"

"No need to thank me. Its your birthday today after all" she gently pushed Rowan out into the hall "now go before Feo realizes what I've done"

Rowan dashed off, careful not to crush the tart in her hands she almost forgot what Willow had said. "Birthday?"

She glanced up at one of the stewards straightening a painting in the hallway, "is it my birthday today?" he blinked down at her. Though she was a stranger, the princess' blood red hair and piercing eyes was renowned. The servant stuttered. He didn't whether to bow and drop the painting or disrespect royalty.

"Yes, it is" he smiled awkwardly instead. Holding the painting. She beamed and squealed with excitement. Before he could say anything else, she had already darted off. He wondered why the little girl, a princess not doubt, wouldn't know when her birthday was?

"The gods, man." Another servant helped him with the painting. When he saw the princess screaming down the hall, he put together the questioning look the younger man wore.

"It's the first time the princess had celebrated her birthday."

"Oh? But why? One would think the queen would throw these kinds of parties with whatever reason, much less her daughter's--"

"The king died on princess' birth" he cut him short with a deadpan.

"Ah. Yes... how could I forget?" the two continued to work in silence, they didn't do it out of respect. In fact, in their hearts, they were glad the king was dead.

--

"Mother! Its my birthday!" Rowan yelled as she pushed the door to her mother's chamber doors wide open.

Her mother was the most beautiful person Rowan has ever known. Queen Nara Morhaven looked better than any of the paintings in her book of fairy tales, and sometimes she would imagine that her mother was actually the fairy queen, transformed into a human because she fell in love her with father. She had bright red locks that fell down her waist and had the brightest emerald for eyes. Though she was slender, Rowan knew how strong her mother was, often going into battle to protect the empires borders.